


Astraphobia

by SkipBack



Series: Scenarios Timeline [2]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: AH YES, I'm not sure what else to say, and gaz has a moment, and then he gets a hug, but let's just say that the roach needs a hug, fluff n' fear, perfect combination, siblings bein' siblings, son boy is afraid, very afraid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:47:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29314338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkipBack/pseuds/SkipBack
Summary: Thunderstorms. Are. The.Worst.
Series: Scenarios Timeline [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790731
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	Astraphobia

**Author's Note:**

> **!~ NOTES BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE STORY ~!**
> 
> This is a story I wrote last year for the Scenarios Timeline before it was really a thing, and I just realized I forgot to post it. I have nothing to say other than "son boy is afraid," so... have fun reading!
> 
> **!~ AND THAT'S ALL YOU NEEDED TO KNOW. ENJOY THE STORY :D ~!**

At first, the rain had been nothing more than a harmless dribble. It had been welcoming, a steady background noise to anchor to. It had almost been calming, a friendly little sound to work along side of.

  
  


But as the rain wore on, it became evident it was _not_ just a friendly little dribble.

  
  


Zib frowned at the relentless pounding rain against his window, the dark rolling storm clouds overhead making it look like night had come early. It was unfortunately _very distracting_ , especially with Zib's heightened sense of hearing. At this rate, he wasn't _ever_ going to get anything done.

  
  


A bolt of sudden panic shot through him as lightning flashed outside, a bright white light against the dark clouds. He yelped, falling out of his chair. He scrambled to his feet with his heart in his throat. 

  
  


_a blinding light shot up into the sky_

  
  


No, no, he was fine... it was just lightning. Everything was fine, everything was in one piece, nothing was exp—

  
  


The thunder crashed, deafening. Zib couldn't help the scream that escaped from the depths of his chest, tearing up his throat and vibrating through his entire body. His eyes wild with terror and his heart pounding like the rain against his window, he shot to the floor and hid under his desk.

  
  


_the sound rang out through the cosmos, deafening and vibrating through his bones_

  
  


No, not again... please, please, please _not again!_

  
  


Zib threw his hands over his head as the thunder crashed again, another scream shredding his already raw throat. He dug his claws into his head, his mind blank except for the pure, boundless terror that coursed through his entire body. His chest was tight and he was uncontrollably shaking, trying to shrink further under the desk as lightning flashed through sky once again.

  
  


Why wouldn't it just stop? Why did it have to keep going on like this? Why couldn't it just be all over, or was this his curse? A punishment for destroying an entirety of a universe?

  
  


Was his punishment to relive that moment over and over and over again?

  
  


Zib squeezed his eyes shut, tears pouring down his face like waterfalls. He couldn't block out the flash of the lightning, the crash of the thunder, but he'd finally stopped screaming. All he could do was whisper a single word over and over and over again under his breath, rocking himself back and forth.

  
  


"No, no, no, no," he kept whispering. "No, no, no, nooooo..."

  
  


_Please..._ why wouldn't someone just make it _stop?_

  
  


"Zib?"

  
  


Someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Zib forced his eyes open to see who it was. 

  
  


"My God, are you _alright?_ " Dib asked. "I almost thought you were being _murdered!_ "

  
  


It was probably a joke, something that almost made him laugh, but there was another crash of thunder and Zib flinched, trying to make himself smaller with a whimper, fresh tears pouring down his face.

  
  


A look of realization crossed Dib's features. "Oh, jeez... are you afraid of thunder?"

  
  


Zib started shaking again, choking on a sob.

  
  


There was a look that was crossed between sympathy and discomfort on Dib's face, but he managed to pull Zib's hands off his own head and pulled him into a hug. For a moment Zib was stunned by the gesture, his mind leading him back to the hug Dib had given him in the Zimvoid, but he soon tightly squeezed Dib and buried his face into his shoulder, shaking uncontrollably. Any time he heard the thunder, he made a loud high-pitched sound in an effort to keep himself from screaming in his alternate's ear.

  
  


"It's okay," Dib said, reassuringly rubbing his back. "It's okay, it's just thunder. It's not going to hurt you. I promise."

  
  


Dib didn't understand. But Zib couldn't tell him, due to his ability of speech suddenly being ripped away, incoherent Irken babbling the only thing he could do. 

  
  


It took him a while, but he eventually calmed down. The thunder and lightning still spooked him, but not as badly as before. He hadn't realized it until Dib left the room (a bit reluctantly), but it turned out Gaz had also come to the room when Zib had screamed.

  
  


Gaz didn't say anything about what had happened, but she walked inside and handed him what he knew to be the last soda. She promised that she'd let this go just once... but only as long as Dib never found out.

**Author's Note:**

> this is technically the first story from a google doc that i've ever posted on archive. that's very cool. right? yeah. _astraphobia_ (originally titled _thunderbird_ ) was, as i've said, written before i started working on the scenarios timeline. the story's actually referenced a little in _roachbreak_ :
> 
> "...resting a hand on the other's arm, vaguely remembering hugging his alternate in the Zimvoid and hugging him the time he had found out Zib was terrified of thunder."
> 
> anyway, that's enough tidbits from me, i hope you enjoyed reading haha-
> 
> btw, i can't tell if the image i put in is actually in the story. can anyone tell me if it's there? thanks.
> 
> edit: no i don't think so, fUUUUUCK. i have to remove it, that dumbass. you know what? there's a link to the drawing right here
> 
> https://electrozeistyking.tumblr.com/post/621319112276230144/oh-boy
> 
> boom baby


End file.
